Log barking machine



Dec. 4, 1962 D. L. SPANJER LOG BARKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 4, 1959 INVENTOR L..SPANJER HIS ATTORNEY Dec. 4, 1962 D. L. SPANJER 3,066,712

LOG BARKING MACHINE Filed May 4, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LG 041 10 LSPANJE'R BY ,r

3 J ms ATTORNEY Dec. 4, 1962 Filed May 4, 1959 D. L. SPANJER 3,066,712

LOG BARKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United 3,066,712 Patented Dec. 4, 1962 muda Filed May 4, 1959, Ser. No. 816,738 3 Claims. (Cl. 144-208) This invention relates to log barking machines, and more particularly to a safety device for such machines.

It is an object of this invention to provide a safety device for a log barking machine that can stop the entire machine substantially without any delay in case of an emergency.

Another object of this invention i to provide means to operate the safety device from various locations of the machine.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means to rotate one of the units of the machine manually while the other units are inoperative.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear more fully from the following specification made in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a side View of the log barking machine mounted on a truck,

FIG. 2 is a rear end view of FIG. 1 showing the safety device, the charge and discharge units, and the transmission mechanism,

FIG. 3 is a top view of a portion of FIG. 1 showing the gear train of the transmission mechanism and the location of a clutch arrangement adapted to permit manual rotation of one of the units while the other units are inoperative,

FIG. 4 shows the clutch partly in longitudinal section, and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the clutch taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, designates a truck on which is mounted a log barking machine 12 (see FIG. 1). The log barking machine 12 comprises a barking unit 14 in the form of a rotary drum 16 equipped with cutter arms 18 connected to the drum 16 and adapted to bark a log 20. A pulley 22 drives the drum 16 by means of a belt 24.

The logs to be barked are advanced into the barking unit 14 by a charge unit 26, comprising two cooperating conveyors 28 and 30, positioned at one end of the barking unit 14. The logs, after being barked in the barking unit 14, are transported therefrom by a discharge unit 32, comprising two cooperating conveyors 34 and 36, positioned at the other end of the barking unit.

A power take-oil 38 (see FIG. 2) is provided by the engine (not shown) of the truck 10. A pulley 40, connected to the power take-off 38, drives by means of a belt 42 and a transmission mechanism 44 the barking unit 14, the charge unit 26, and the discharge unit 32, simultaneously.

The transmission mechanism 44 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) includes a gear train 48, pulleys 46 and 54 keyed to a shaft 56, and a pulley 50 keyed to a shaft 51. The gear train 48 is driven by the pulley 50 by means of the shaft 51, the pulley 56 in turn being driven by means of a belt 52 driven by the pulley 54. The shaft 56 is connected to a clutch 58 and a bevelled gear arrangement 60 to rotate the pulley 22. As the pulley 46 is driven by the pulley 46 by means of the belt 42, the pulley 46 drives the pulley 54 to drive the gear train 48, and also drives the shaft 56 to drive the pulley 22. The barking unit 14 is rotated by the pulley 22 by means of the belt 24. A housing 45 is provided for the pulleys and the gear train 48.

The conveyors 28 and 30 of the charge unit 26, and the conveyors 34 and 36 of the discharge unit 32 (see FIG. 2) are connected to be driven by gears 64, 66, 68 and 70, respectively, these gears being intermeshed to drive the conveyors at an equal speed. The pulley 50 is connected to the shaft 51 to drive the gear train 48, comprising a gear 72 connected to the shaft 51, and gear 74 which drives a gear 76 which in turn drives a gear 78 and a gear 86, gear 80 being connected to the gear 78 to drive the gears 66 and 70 and therethrough the gears 64 and 68. The gears 64, 66, 68 and 76 are connected to shafts 61, 63, 62 and 65, respectively, to drive the associated conveyors.

According to this invention a safety device has been provided to halt the operation of the units as quickly as possible in case of an emergency. Although the units may be stopped by stopping the engine (not shown) that drives the units, it is obvious that by reason of the inertia of the various moving components of the ma chine the units cannot possibly be stopped instantly, as would be required in a case of an emergency. In order to stop the units almost instantly the safety device acts to disengage the power take-off 38 of the engine (not' shown) from the transmission mechanism 44, and simultaneously, to apply a brake to the pulley 46 driven by the pulley 46 of the power take-off 38.

This is achieved by an arrangement of an arm 82' being pivotable around a stationary shaft 88 and provided at its one end with a brake shoe 84 and at its other end with a belt tensioner in the form of an idler 86. It is to be noted that the brake 84 and the idler 86 are positioned such, that when the arm 82 is pivoted in one direction the brake 84 is inoperative While the idler 86 is in tensioning relation with the belt 42, as shown in FIG. 2. When the arm 82 is pivoted in the other direction the idler 86 is inoperative and the brake 84 is i in braking relation with the pulley 46. The idler 86 is urged upon the belt 42 to keep the belt tensioned for transmitting rotary motion from the pulley 48 to the pulley 46.

The arm 82 is also provided with a spring 96 being connected to a point 98 of the arm 82, to constantly urge the arm 82 to pivot in a direction to untension the belt 42, and simultaneously, to apply the brake 84 with force to the pulley 46.

A locking device 90 is provided to hold the arm 82 in a position, so that the idler 86 is in tensioning relation with the belt 42. The locking device 90 comprises a rod 94 connected at its one end to the lower portion of the arm 82 and at its other end to a past center lock 92. When the past center lock 92 is actuated to be released, the rod 94 is retracted to retract the idler 86 from its tensioning relation with the belt 42 to cause the belt 42 to slip. As soon as the locking device 90 is released and the rod 94 is retracted, the arm 82 is forced by the spring 96 to pivot, so that the brake shoe 84 will be forced into frictional contact with the pulley 46. The pulley 46 being disengaged from the power take-off 38 of the engine (not shown) of the machine, and the braking action of the brake 84 to stop the pulley 46, will cause the units to be halted.

To release the locking device 90, the lever arm 100 of the past center lock 92 is simply pulled upwards. This is achieved by means of a cord 102 connected to the lever arm 100 and leading to various locations of the machine.

Whenever the idler 86 is retracted from its operational position relative to the belt 42, the belt 42 pulley 46. The belt 42 will I It is to be noted that in case of an emergency when the safety device is operated, the inertia of the barking unit 14, by reason of its substantial weight, is such that the action of the safety device would not be powerful enough to halt all the units instantly when the barking unit 14 would be positively connected to the shaft 56. In view thereof a clutch arrangement has been provided to automatically permit the barking unit 14 to continue rotating when the saftey device is operated to provide for the charge unit 26 and discharge unit 32 to be halted instantly. This is important, as an emergency is more likely to arise at the charge unit 26 and the discharge unit 32, because of the position and the manner of operation of the units, rather than at the barking unit 14.

According to this invention, the clutch arrangement includes a clutch 58 connected to the shaft 56 driving the bevelled gear arrangement 60, the pulley 22, and the barking unit 14. Clutch 58 is of a commonly known type, either the ratchet type or the type shown in Patent No. 1,708,215 to W. A. Chryst. Preferably, the common- 1y known ratchet type clutch is used including a member 104 connected to the shaft 56, and a partly splined shaft 106 having a positive connection with the member 104 to transmit rotary motion from the member 104 to a member 108 connected to drive the bevelled gear arrangement 60. The member 108 is usually provided with six notches 110 and four pawls 112 adapted to cooperate with each other such that the member 108 is driven in one direction only. The portion 114 of the shaft 106 extending in the member 108 is adapted to actuate the pawls 112 and to urge two of the pawls 112 radially into operational relation with the member 108 when the shaft 106 is rotated in one direction. When, however, the units 26 and 32 are halted and the shafts 56 and 106 are inoperative, the shaft portion 114, the notches 110, and the pawls 112 cooperate with each other to render the pawls 112 inoperative relative to the notches 110 and member 108 to permit the member 108 to continue rotating.

It will be seen that in case of an emergency all three units will be halted, but, for the aforementioned reasons, the charge unit 26 and the discharge unit 32 are halted instantly by the prompt action of the safety device and by the provision of the clutch arrangement.

With the provision of the clutch 58 another purpose is served, namely that, when the shaft 56 and the units 26 and 32 are inoperative, the barking unit 14 may be rotated manually in one direction only. This will permit the operator of the machine to carry out operations on the barking unit 14, requiring rotation thereof, without rotating the engine or the transmission mechanism.

It should be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative only, and that various changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. A machine for barking logs comprising, a rotary barking unit to bark such logs, a charge unit positioned at one end of the barking unit to advance logs to said barking unit, a discharge unit positioned at the other end of said barking unit to transport logs from said barking unit, a transmission mechanism adapted to drive said units simultaneously, a driver, a first drive element connected to be driven by said driver, said transmission mechanism including a second drive element, connecting means to transmit rotary motion from said first element to said second element to operate said transmission mechanism, means rendering said connecting means in operative to transmit motion and to brake said second element and forcibly halt operation of said transmission mechanism thereby stopping said units when said driver is in operation, said transmission mechanism including means for maintaining a drivable connection between said transmission mechanism and said barking unit in a predetermined direction While allowing rotation of said barking unit in said predetermined direction when said transmission mechanism is halted.

2. A machine for barking logs comprising, .a rotary barking unit to bark such logs, a charge unit positioned at one end of the barking unit to advance logs to said barking unit, a discharge unit positioned at the other end of said barking unit to transport logs from said barking unit, a driver, a transmission mechanism connected to said driver to operate said units simultaneously, a first pulley connected to be driven by said driver, said transmission mechanism including a second pulley, a belt adapted to transmit rotary motion from said first pulley to said second pulley, a safety device including a brake connected to said machine and positioned to be applied to stop said second pulley, and a tensioning mechanism connected to said machine and positioned to apply tension to said belt to transmit such motion, first means to release the tensioning mechanism and to apply said brake to stop said units substantially simultaneously, said transmission mechanism including means for maintaining a drivable connection between said transmission mechanism and said barking unit in a predetermined direction while allowing rotation of said barking unit in said predetermined direction when said transmission mechanism is halted.

3. The device claimed in claim 2 in which said first means includes means extending along the machine and operable at various locations therealong to operate said first said means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 247,075 Larzelere Sept. 13, 1881 1,248,700 Olson Dec. 4, 1917 1,727,933 Mitchell Sept. 10, 1929 2,330,996 Rivers Oct. 5, 1943 2,591,751 Whitlock Apr. 8, 1952 2,625,968 Eklund et al. Jan.'20, 1953 2,646,092 Kolpe et a1. July 21, 1953 2,779,363 Laughton Jan. 29, 1957 2,880,942 Hall Apr. 7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 215,700 Australia June 11, 1958 64,545 Switzerland May 7, 1913 

